Noticeboard

You can now book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and view certain aspects of your medical record online by signing up to our new Patient Access Service. Please see 'Online Services' tab on the right. If you can spare us a couple of minutes of your time to complete a short survey, please click on the 'Friend & Family Survey' link on the right. Annandale is taking part in the National Diabetes Audit. For further information see the ‘Diabetes’ tab on the right.

Repeat Prescriptions at Annandale Medical Centre

All our repeat prescriptions are computerised. To obtain a repeat prescription please use your computer repeat prescription slip or complete a repeat medication request form and post in the box marked 'Repeat prescriptions.' At the branch surgery hand to the receptionist.

Alternatively, you can order your repeat prescription online. In order to do this you will need to sign up to the Patient Access service. Please bring photographic ID and something confirming your address into either surgery and the reception staff will be able to sign you up to this service.

If you wish to receive your prescription by post please enclose a stamped addressed envelope. We do not accept telephone calls for a repeat prescriptions.

Please allow 2 complete working days (48hrs) before collecting your prescription. If you are advised on your repeat medication form that your medication needs reviewing, please make an appointment with the receptionist. The doctors have a duty of care to ensure that the medication you are taking is still appropriate for you. This applies even if you are attending a hospital for treatment.

If you wish to collect your prescriptions from a local pharmacy please let us know and we can arrange for this to happen.

Dispensing Patients

You may collect your prescription or medication from either of our surgeries. Please let us know where you wish to collect from when ordering your repeat prescription.

Dispensing Patients

If you live more than a mile from a chemist, we can dispense your prescriptions at the surgery.

Your medication will be dispensed by a qualified dispenser who can help with your queries or concerns or can quickly pass them to the surgery Doctors if required.

Our dispensing patients can order their prescription over the phone after 10am at either the main surgery or the branch surgery, this is in addition to the other methods of ordering which are available to all patients. The medication will be ready to collect two working days later, unless we contact you in the meantime to advise differently. We can also immediately dispense acute items for dispensing patients, which have been prescribed during a consultation at the surgery.

The dispensary is open the same hours as the surgery so you can collect your medication at a convenient time, it is just closed for lunch from 1.00 until 1.30pm.

This service provides an income to the surgery which can be used for improving the services we offer, so your custom is greatly appreciated.

If you are eligible for the service and would like us to dispense medication for you, please speak to one of the dispensers or the reception staff who will happily arrange this for you.

Prescriptions Charges and Exemptions

The NHS prescription charge is a flat-rate amount which successive Governments have thought it reasonable to charge for those who can afford to pay for their medicines. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) offer real savings for people who need extensive medication.

NHS charges

These charges apply in England only. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales prescriptions are free of charge.

Prescription (per item): £8.40

12-month prepayment certificate (PPC): £104.00

3-month PPC: £29.10

If you will have to pay for four or more prescription items in three months, or more than 14 items in 12 months, you may find it cheaper to buy a PPC.

There is further information about prescription exemptions and fees on the NHS website

Patient/carer responsibilities

Patients and their carers are an important part of the repeat prescribing process and, within their level of competency, can take responsibility for:

Making sure that they understand the repeat ordering system, and what help is available to enable them to obtain their medicines in a safe and timely way.

Ensuring that they participate in medication reviews to discuss their medicines; including asking any questions that they have about how the repeat prescribing process works.

Checking what is needed before placing an order for a repeat prescription, only ordering what will be needed before the next prescription is due, and then using it according the prescribers instructions.

Placing the order for their repeat prescription using the most up to date counterfoil or the online ordering facility.

Speaking to their doctor or pharmacist if any medicine is not suiting them, or they are not sure how and when to take the medicines.

Checking that the medicines supplied are those that have been ordered, and that they are still needed, especially at times when things can change such as following a hospital admission.

Letting their doctor and pharmacist know if they have a stock of medicines building up, and that they won’t need to order for a while

Planning ahead to allow sufficient time for the prescription to be checked, issued and dispensed, especially around holidays and Bank Holidays when there may be extra pressure on the system

Emergency Prescriptions

An emergency prescription service is now available via NHS111 to patients who run out of their medications when the surgery is closed. Patients should contact NHS111 in the first instance who will advise the patient of the nearest pharmacy participating in the scheme. The Pharmacist will then interview the patient to decide if it is appropriate for an 'emergency supply' of medicines or appliances to be supplied. This service is only available by contacting NHS111, not by directly approaching the pharmacy.